29 September 2012

NIGERIA: Criticism After Actor Sentenced for "Unnatural Offences"

There has been public criticism and "mixed feelings" after a Nigerian actor was sentenced to three months in prison after admitting to having sex with another man, reports The Vanguard,
a well-respected independent daily based in Lagos. Some have publicly called the sentence "barbaric."

Twenty-eight-year-old Bestwood Chukwuemeka—an actor in movies produced by the nation's well-known "Nollywood" film industry—reportedly had a sexual encounter in August with another man while he was intoxicated. The other man "informed the police" who promptly arrested Chukwuemeka. The Abuja man eventually pleaded guilty to charges of "unnatural offences" and "homosexuality".

The Vanguard's report is
noteworthy because it's fairly balanced and veers away from the entrenched homophobia often seen in Nigerian media.

While some Nigerians hailed the judgment of the court, very many others frowned at it, arguing that imprisonment of the up and coming actor was “barbaric and unacceptable to the people.”

According to those, who went online to express their feelings, being a homosexual should not be a crime punishable by law. One writes: "As far as I am concerned whether gay, bisexual or straight and as long as it is two consenting adults or individuals, love is love and a family is a family. I find it disheartening that this is what this country has come to. Who are we to judge a man for sleeping with another man?"

"If he raped the man in question, then he should be locked up. If it was consensual sex between two willing adults, then, they should let him go. As usual, Nigerians will conveniently call it a disgusting sin, leaving out the part that says promiscuous girls should be stoned to death and men shouldn’t shave ever." writes one Mark Francis.

Since 2007, the National Assembly has introduced several proposed versions of extreme anti-gay legislation. A draconian bill passed last year by the Senate goes beyond
merely banning same-sex marriage—which is already illegal—and would ban
same sex relationships, ban same sex couples from living together,
ban pro-LGBT websites or groups and prosecute their friends or human
rights activists. The bill has since stalled under international pressure. Previous versions of the bill banned gays from meeting, living together, reading LGBT websites or even going out to dinner.